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This car belongs to user bluejeansonfire. The car is an E46 330ci with an M54 that has been custom built. It features 8.5:1 wiseco pistons, eagle rods, and a JBR valvetrain including the heads, springs, and retainers. Schrick 252/256 cams are used with a hta3582r turbo feeding a 3.5 inch exhaust. It is nice to see a built M54 turbo application but this is only putting up slightly higher numbers than the Technique Tuning Stage 2 setup does on the stock internals. We look forward to seeing what this can do with the boost turned up!

Julio built a hell of a car. I rode in it before the big turbo and it was extremely quick. I can't imagine now. He will easily be in the 500's. Keep in mind this is only a base tune just to get the car running. Once he has his meth hooked up, and gets a real tune you'll see what this thing really does. I have nothing but high expectations.

Julio built a hell of a car. I rode in it before the big turbo and it was extremely quick. I can't imagine now. He will easily be in the 500's. Keep in mind this is only a base tune just to get the car running. Once he has his meth hooked up, and gets a real tune you'll see what this thing really does. I have nothing but high expectations.

That's a good point, didn't even realize he was going to add meth to it.

Ah I see, the subframe issues are a commonality on the E46, just a very weak point that needs to be addressed.

It's not the subframe mounting points that everyone is focused on these days, those were fixed a long time ago on Julio's car. Once people fix that, and run stiff or solid bushings like Julio and I have, we'll start to see some more substantial drivetrain failures.

I think my experience damaging diff output flanges and halfs-hafts was a statement that made Julio nervous. With his first failure that was similar to mine, he was looking at "plan B" pretty fast.

It's not the subframe mounting points that everyone is focused on these days, those were fixed a long time ago on Julio's car. Once people fix that, and run stiff or solid bushings like Julio and I have, we'll start to see some more substantial drivetrain failures.

I think my experience damaging diff output flanges and halfs-hafts was a statement that made Julio nervous. With his first failure that was similar to mine, he was looking at "plan B" pretty fast.

If it isn't the mounting points than what is it? Once those are addressed what is next?

Half-shafts aren't a problem, there are options for stronger half-shafts.

If it isn't the mounting points than what is it? Once those are addressed what is next?

Half-shafts aren't a problem, there are options for stronger half-shafts.

After destroying a set of output flanges, gone through numerous halfshafts, I destroyed my kaaz LSD right before thanksgiving. Before my car even fired up, I've been looking into alternatives for differential, but I hadn't quiet had everything pieced together. I always felt that my 3.38 ratio was a bit aggressive, it didn't have me make the best use of my power band. I also drove on a 2.93 I had sitting around and knew that downshifting ont hat thing sucked, that diff was boring. So I wanted something sort of in between. So, my first idea: e39 M5 diff in a e46 m3 subframe with e46 m3 driveshaft, halfshafts, and rear diff cover (which takes care of the rear mounting points). All 210k/215k diffs share a rear case bolt-pattern. The problem: lack of availability for the e39 M5 differential and relatively high costs. I want something that I can blow up regularly, not break the bank to replace. This includes half-shafts, and considering all the bad reviews considering driveshaft issues from DSS, I really want to steer away from their product. *Note*... I'm not basing the driveshaft issues off of one mishap, but there isn't one success story of these driveshafts on a BMW, search bf.c FI for more on this. The halfshafts seem to work fine, but from the discussion regarding this company on bf.c, I prefer not to deal with them. Besides, I have a source for used e46M halfshafts, $100/each/shipped/win. I digress.

So, in lieu of a e39M diff and to follow in the example of e36 folk, I purchased something with the exact same gear ratio, but less lockup, the e32 750 differential. $250 plus shipping. This is all being done on my hobo budget of $800. The e39 diff would also require fab work as the front mounting location isn't the same as the e46, the e39 points forward, the e46 points to the passenger side. So initially the fabwork difference was very tomayto/tomahto.

I plan to purchase a spare 750 diff to build up with a more agressive lockup instead of the luxcruiser-intended 25%.
Downsides of the 750 diff: it's really big towards the snout (in comparison to the e39M and e46M diffs) and required a lot of cutting and reinforcing of the subframe. Another downside: with the e46 M3 cover on it, it has no oil fill, as the fill on the 750 diff is on the cover and the e46M/e39M is on the side.... this i knew, but putting a fill on the e46 rear cover is about as difficult as putting a tubo oil drain on an oil pan, cake.

Given finals at school, I only had the previous week to work on this, it's a couple of welds away from being finished. For Christmas, I am in the wrong edge of florida, the armpit of america: gulf breeze, fl.

Regarding the exhaust: when fabbing the exhaust, I made about 1.5ft of it hang a bit too low and left some room above it. When returning to Orlando, before the car fires again, this will be among the issues resolved. This has already caused me some headache. A couple of hours before the dyno that yielded the numbers posted above, I hit the exhaust on some gas-station filling covers and broke the wastegate flex tube.
The dyno actually shows a pretty accurate spoolup of what it's doing on the street. But before it was around 33-3400 rpm that full boost was seen. Next dyno will probably be at Nick's (logging boost and other inputs) and then I'll revisit this dynoject for comparison's sake.

I expect that spoolup will be a tad improved as will power numbers considering what repairs I have in mind.

Regarding boost, I dunno where we'll stop (justin is correct in his prediction above, at the very, very least before race gas), maybe just when we start to get really nervous, it'll largely be up to Nick, but I'll let you know the following: unleaded race gas and meth are in the mix. 480whp, I expect on a dynojet on relatively low-boost on pump settings.

Also, why something you know you will need to replace? Why not something very strong you won't break to begin with not just something that will last a bit longer?

Originally Posted by bluejeansonfire

Regarding boost, I dunno where we'll stop (justin is correct in his prediction above, at the very, very least before race gas), maybe just when we start to get really nervous, it'll largely be up to Nick, but I'll let you know the following: unleaded race gas and meth are in the mix. 480whp, I expect on a dynojet on relatively low-boost on pump settings.

When are you planning to do this and what is the high-boost goal? How much more time would you say is involved before this will be completed?